Appointment of a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Visual Media Practice (0.4)

Appointment of a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Visual Media Practice (0.4)

The school The School of Art, Design and Media is located across three of the university’s campuses: Grand Parade, Moulsecoomb and Hastings.

The school draws together a comprehensive range of disciplines and professions that span the visual and performing arts, architecture, design, craft, media studies, moving image and photography.

We are committed to the advancement and delivery of creative, cultural and socially purposeful higher education that contributes to the civic and public good and strengthens our societal and economic resilience. This can be seen in our partnerships, collaborations and engagement with both local and international communities. This is of mutual benefit and ensures a globally relevant and purposeful student and staff experience that integrates and applies its research and professional knowledge to questioning and contributing to well-being and culture regionally and internationally.

The school is one of two schools in the College of Arts and Humanities. The college provides an overarching progressive intellectual and educational framework that builds disciplinary skills and fosters opportunities for cross and interdisciplinary creative and critical practice, teaching and research as individual students progress from undergraduate through to postgraduate and doctoral studies.

All courses provided in the school are recognised nationally and internationally for their quality and students consistently win major awards and progress to hold prominent positions in their respective professions.

Within Architecture all courses are professionally prescribed by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and validated by the Royal Institute of British Architect’s (RIBA).

The overarching aim of all staff, academic, technical and administrative, is to place the student at the centre of a coherent learning experience that emphasises innovative ideas and skilful production, critical engagement in history, theory, and cultural studies, alongside professional practices and social responsibility. Staff work across the academic fields of the school and many contribute to both practice and theoretical teaching.

All staff are encouraged to pursue their own research and scholarly interests and to retain links with professional practice. Many are appointed on a part-time basis enabling them to continue their professional work. Their expertise is augmented by a rich and varied mix of distinguished visiting lecturers and critics, many of national and international stature.

While the programme areas are linked in various ways, in some cases by sharing physical resources and teaching, they have discrete specialist core units of study as well as opportunities for optional studies. The options programme offers access to subjects across the college, allows students to extend the range of studies beyond their specific programme area.

In addition the school has established links with a variety of community groups through its collaboration with the university’s Community University Partnership Project.

Teaching is underpinned by an active programme of research undertaken by individual academic staff and increasingly through the development of interdisciplinary projects of national and international relevance. This explores areas of cross-disciplinary and site specific practice, challenging conventional boundaries.

The Job The University of Brighton is internationally renowned for its work in the fields of art, design, media and communication, as well as its close links with the creative and digital industries. The Academic Programme in Media at the University of Brighton offers innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of media. It aims to critically address and inform the evolving and dynamic relationship between media, culture, communities and creative industries in contemporary societies. The Programme’s expanding portfolio incorporates a range of theory as well as practice-oriented and production-based courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including research degrees. Promoting critical, creative, professional and technical skills, the Programme reflects the overall ambition of its teaching and research team to actively contribute towards social change and social inclusion in and through new media forms, technologies and institutions.

The Programme offers an energetic range of courses that facilitates the exploration, development and cross-fertilization of ideas and working methods and practices. Graduates across all courses are well equipped to enter the creative industries as critical practitioners or to pursue further academic study, having been provided with a flexible but stable environment for sustained learning and individual personal development. We are recognised nationally to not only produce critical and creatively diverse graduates, but also flexible and adaptable media practitioners with a view of contributing towards and innovating in the fields of social and community development.

Media Studies, Creative Media and Broadcast Media courses at the University of Brighton are driven and informed by media staff research interests and practices.

The range of duties of a university lecturer is extensive and diverse. The following summary indicates the nature of this range. Almost all academic staff will be expected to contribute to both the teaching and the research activity of their subject area. At Senior Lecturer level (AC3), staff are expected to be engaged in the planning, design and leadership of teaching and research activity, and to be making wider contributions to the work of their school and the university.

Teaching and Scholarship

A Lecturer (AC2) is expected to possess, develop and utilise a range of teaching methods and ways of supporting student learning. These may include: lectures, seminars, tutorials, forms of e-learning, workshops, laboratory classes and individual supervision.

The role requires the ability to: identify the learning needs of students and to define appropriate learning objectives; ensure that the teaching content, methods of delivery and learning materials are appropriate; develop own teaching materials, under guidance; select appropriate types of formative assessment; seek ways of improving teaching performance by self-reflection and the gathering and analysis of student feedback, and teach as a member of a team within the framework of an established course. An understanding of equal opportunities issues with regard to academic content and teaching delivery is also expected.

In addition a Senior Lecturer (Ac3) is expected to be able to design teaching materials, identify areas where current provision is in need of revision or improvement, supervise student projects, field trips and placement activity.

Research and Scholarship

A Lecturer is expected to: continually update their disciplinary and/or professional knowledge and understanding; develop personal (and, where appropriate, collaborative) research objectives; write up research work for publication; translate new subject knowledge into teaching content; and reflect on their own practice as a higher education teacher. Engagement in continuous professional development with regard to disciplinary/professional and pedagogic expertise is required.

In addition a Senior Lecturer should: disseminate research findings and outputs at conferences and similar events and identify and seek sources of external funding for their own scholarly activity.

Communication

A Lecturer should be able to: deal with routine communication using a range of media; communicate complex information orally, in writing and electronically and communicate material of a specialist or highly technical nature.

In addition a Senior Lecturer will be capable of: routinely communicating complex and conceptual ideas to those with limited knowledge and understanding, as well as to peers, and preparing proposals and applications to external bodies, e.g. for funding and accreditation purposes.

Liaison and Networking

A Lecturer is expected to : liaise effectively with colleagues and students; build internal contacts and participate in internal information exchange networks, and join external networks to share ideas.

In addition a Senior Lecturer will be able to develop external networks in such areas as: identifying sources of funding; student recruitment; student placements; outreach and marketing activity, and obtaining consultancy projects.

Managing People

A Lecturer will be able to agree and largely self-manage teaching, research and administrative activities.

In addition a Senior Lecturer will be expected to: advise and support less experienced colleagues; in certain circumstances supervise the work of others in research teams or as a research supervisor, and coordinate the work of colleagues, for example when acting as a module leader.

Teamwork

A Lecturer is expected to: collaborate with academic colleagues on course development, curriculum changes and the development of research; attend and contribute to subject group and similar meetings, and collaborate with colleagues across the university to identify and respond to students’ needs.

In addition a Senior Lecturer may be required to act as a team leader in a small scale project.

Pastoral Care

A Lecturer/Senior Lecturer will be expected to: act as a personal tutor; use listening, interpersonal and pastoral care skills to deal with sensitive issues concerning students, appreciate the needs of individual students and their circumstances, and to refer students as appropriate to the specialist services which can provide further help.

Initiative, Problem-solving and Decision Making

A Lecturer will be able to: develop and apply initiative, creativity and judgement in the conduct of teaching and research; respond effectively to pedagogical and practical challenges, and contribute to decision making on, and share responsibility for, the academic content, delivery and assessment of modules.

In addition a Senior Lecturer will be expected to: take responsibility for the design and delivery of individual modules and their assessment; identify, and make proposals regarding, the need for change in individual modules; disseminate and apply the results of research and scholarship; develop ideas on income generation; provide advice on student recruitment and marketing approaches and contribute to the successful implementation of quality assurance requirements, internal and external.

Planning and Managing Resources

A Lecturer will be able to plan and manage their own teaching and the use of teaching and research resources, including laboratories and workshops, as agreed with relevant senior colleagues. An awareness of risks in the work environment and their potential impact will be expected.

In addition a Senior Lecturer will be able to act as a module leader, coordinating administrative and academic staff as necessary, and to undertake academic related roles related to areas such as admissions, examinations and student support. Depending on the area of work the conducting of risk assessment may be expected.

Knowledge and Qualifications

Appointment to either the Lecturer/AC2 or Senior Lecturer/AC3 grade will be dependent upon the role to be undertaken and the skills, knowledge and experience of the successful applicant.

It is expected that the criteria below regarding knowledge and qualifications will be met by the successful candidate.

• A good (1 or 2:1) degree in the area of Visual Media Practice and Communication or a related discipline.

• A postgraduate qualification/PhD or studying towards one.

• Expertise in a number of the following areas: contemporary, historical, theoretical and practical approaches to visual media practice (photography, design, digital communication) with a strong focus on production and production-based research; supervision of theory and practice-based media and photography projects at undergraduate and postgraduate levels; multi-platform visual media practice and its applications.

·  Existing teaching skills should be complimented by a clear research agenda with definite publications that can contribute to the School's REF submission.

·  Module development and management experience at undergraduate and potentially postgraduate levels.

• Up-to-date, sound knowledge of the subject including current professional/vocational developments and the range of generic skills required.

• Understanding of academic and award standards and the range and level of knowledge and skills, both subject-specific and generic, which the programme is intended to foster.

• Competent IT skills and effective use of IT for teaching and learning.

Hours of work The full time equivalent of this post is 0.4fte. The nature of teaching posts is such that staff are expected to work such hours as are reasonably necessary in order to fulfil their duties and responsibilities. It would therefore be inappropriate to define the total hours to be worked in any week. A reasonable norm for full-time staff, however, having regard to the contractual position of other senior staff in the institution, would be thirty-seven, although this should not be regarded as a minimum or maximum.

Direct teaching responsibility for full-time staff should not exceed eighteen hours in any week or a total of five hundred and fifty hours in the teaching year. This provision will not, however, apply in subject areas where the nature of the curriculum and teaching style make it inappropriate. In such cases, separate arrangements apply. The university has currently identified the following academic areas where teaching methods or modes of delivery make the 18 hour per week limit inappropriate at certain times of the year:

• art and design

• business/management

• health - clinically related subjects

• construction management

The 550 hour annual maximum will not, however, be exceeded except by mutually agreed overtime.

The salary Salaries are paid monthly in arrears through the BACS System directly into the bank or building society account of each member of staff.

Salary payments for staff that work less than 52 weeks per year are spread evenly over twelve months of the year so that they continue to receive payment during the times they are not contracted to work. This means that, when they leave the employment of the university, they may have received either an over or underpayment for that year, according to the date of leaving in relation to the anniversary of the start date. In such cases, the adjustment would be made in the final salary payment, as a deduction or lump sum payment, as applicable.

Duration of the job The appointment is temporary for an estimated 2 years, due to a current member of staff taking a leave of absence.

Professional development

Four part-time courses are run within the university for staff new to the teaching role. They are:

The Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (run by the Centre for Learning and Teaching, and designed for staff in all schools and faculties)

The Postgraduate Certificate in Health and Social Care Education (run by the School of Nursing and Midwifery, for staff within the school)

The Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education (run by the School of Health Professions, for staff within the school)

The Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education (run by Medical Education Unit)

All new lecturers with little or no previous experience of teaching in higher education, who have not undertaken an equivalent course of study and training, are expected take one of these courses in their first or second year in post. The courses provide opportunities to explore a range of practical approaches to supporting students’ learning, and to reflect upon the process of developing as a teacher. By negotiation with the relevant Head of School, teaching timetables are adjusted to enable the new lecturer to participate effectively in the course. The course is accredited by the Higher Education Academy, the national professional body for teachers in Higher Education, and successful completion normally leads to professional recognition as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.